Method of and apparatus for lithographing



March 30 1926.

L. THAYER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LITHOGRAPHING Original Filed July18 Patented Mar. 30, 19260 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

LESTER THAYER, 0F WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR TO FORBES LITHO-GRAPH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01? BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TIONOF MASSACHUSETTS.

. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LITHOGBAPHIN'G.

Application filed July 18, 1923, Serial No. 652,335. Renewed January 16,1926.

To all hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lusrnn THAYER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Winthrop, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in a Method of andApparatus for Lithographing,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings'representing like parts. This application is a continuationinpart of my prior application Serial No. 565,215, filed June 1, 1922.

My'invention relatesto a method of and apparatus for lithographing andparticular ly but not exclusively to a method of and apparatus formaking lithographed cartons. According. to prior methods of makingcartons the .carton blanks are lithographed or otherwise printed inmultiple on sheets of relatively large size, and after removal from thepress are divided into smaller sheets and subsequently removed to acutting and scoring machine for finishing the blanks preparatory tofabrication of the completed cartons.

In. the cutting and scoring machine the edgesof the blanks are used asgage lines properly to position the blanks with relation tothe cuttingand scoring rules, and I have found that owing to the unavoidableexpansion and contraction of the sheets it is impossible by priormethods econom cally .to handle a large number of sheets and obtain aproduct in which the blanks are uniformly cut and scored in properrelation to the lithographed or printed. matter thereon. The sheets, itwill be understood, absorb moisture from the atmosphere. If the sheets,for example, are stacked upon discharge from the lithographing pressawaiting removal to the machine for dividing them into smaller sheets,evaporation and absorption of moisture will be different for difierentsheets, causing the sheets to be of slightly different size, with theresult that the edges of the sheets after division will not be uniformlyand properly spaced relative to the lithographed matter, this causingimproper scoring and cutting of the blanks in the cutting and scoringmachine, with the result that a considerable number of blanks, will bespoiled.

According to my improved process I split the sheets simultaneously. withthe lithographing and use the split edges of the smaller sheets as gagelines in the cutting and scoring machine, and am thereby enabled toavoid the effects due to expansion and contraction of the sheets, aspointed out above.

My invention will be best understood from the following descriptionshowing by way of example one manner of carrying out my method anddescribing one example of a press for splitting the sheetssimultaneously with the lithographing.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows more or less diagrammatically my-inventionapplied to a flat bed press; Fig. 2 shows a press constructed accordmgto. Fig. 1 looking from the left with the bed in section;

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the impression cylinder for the machineconstructed according to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of afragment of the knife. I g,

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of myinvention when applied to ,a flatbed press I have indicated a bed 1which is mounted for reciprocation on the track 3, while above the bed Ihave shown the impression cylinder 5, which as will be understood bythose skilled in the art is caused to rotate when the bedreciprocates.I-have indicated the feeding mechanism for the sheets diagrammaticallyat 7 and the delivery mechanism for the sheets diagrammatically at 9,the sheets as is common in this type of machine being fed by theimpression cylinder in the direction of the arrow 11 whence they pass between the impression cylinder and bed and are finally delivered in-thedirection of the arrow 13 to the delivery mechanism 9. As will beunderstood when the sheet passes between the bed and the impressioncylinder the sheet is lithographed.

Referring to Fig. 2 I have indicated at 15 the plates which supply thecolor to the sheet, said plates being supported on the usual blocks 17.On the bed I further mount a knife 19 (or if desired several knivesarranged parallel. to each other) supported between the blocks 17,.which knife (or ing provided with the nut knives) as illustrated in Fig.t is in the form of a bar or narrow strip of metal having the splittingedge 21..

Cooperating with the kni to and serving as a platen therefor is the hand23 preferably constructed of a flexible strip o l' steel which encirclesthe impression cylinder. About that portion of the impression cylinderwhich faces the plates during the printing operation I provide thepacking 25, the band in the manner hereinafter explained being caused tohave its outer surface substantially flush with the outer surface of thepacking.

As shown the impression cylinder is provided with the longitudinallyextending rcccsses 27, and for holding the band 23 in position the endsthereof are bent over and if necessary secured to blocks 29 located atone of these recesses, the band and the blocks being perforated toreceive the oppositely screw threaded ends of the turnbuckle Bl. theperforations 33 of the blocks being screw threaded to receive theturninickle, and the turnbuckle intermediate its ends be- 35 whereby theturnbuckle may be operated.

For adjusting the band 2 1 radially of the impression cylinder to bringthe outer surface of the band in proper relation with the knife tocompensate for the wear on the cutting edge of the knife and tobring'the outer surface of the band substantially flush with the outersurface of the packing I insert shims 37 between the impression cylinderand the band. the turnbuckle permitting the band to be loosened andadjusted for this purpose. The shims may be of any suitable materialandL preferably material which will more or less yieldingly support theband, and for this purpose I have found shims made of several layers ofpaper satisfactory.

In using the press construction as described the sheets preferably arefed to the impression cylinder in such manner that the knife splits thesheets into narrower sheets on a line transversely to the grain of thesheets. As the sheets are split simultaneously with the lithographingthe lithographs are always in the same relation to the edge along whichthe split takes place. As the maximum eX- pansion or contraction of thesheets is along the grain splitting the sheets transversely of the grainminimizes or insures against any noticeable effects due to subsequentexpansion or contraction. The sheets are now removed to the cutting andscoring machine, the splitedges of the sheets being placed against thefront guides of the feeding mechanism of the cutting and scoring machineand the unsplit edges against the side guides thereof which because thelithogra hed portions of the sheets are in exact re ation to the splitedges permits the sheets to be cut and scored accurately with relationto the lithographs. As will be on derstood by those skilled in the artthe scoring rules in the cutting and scoring machine for the most partand especially thc longest rules will be arranged parailcl to the frontguides of the cutting and 'or ing machine and in this manner the scoringwill be accurately placed relatively to the split edge of the sheet andwill cause the sheets to be scored across the grain which permits thesheets to be folded without buckling at the edges of the cartons.

The presses in whica cartons are printed are commonly calledlithographlng pres and the cartons said to be lithographed" whether thecartons are printed in colors or not or whether they bear both type matter, and pictorial matter or either of thesialone. Accordingly it is tobe understood that I do not limit myself to the particular kind ofprinting done by the press.

Although I have described one form of press for simultaneouslylithographing and splitting the sheets it will be understood that otherforms may be (ll'l]7l() \0(l. as for (x-- ample those disclosed in mypending appli cations Serial No. 565.215. filed June 1. 192; and SerialNo, (352 3 36. filed July 19. i92

iilthough I have described for purposes of illustration one embodimentof my apparatus and method it is to be understood that I am not limitedthereby, but that within the scope of my invention wide deviations maybe made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Claims:

1. The method of makinglitho -raphed cartons or the like which comprisesprinting said cartons in multiple on sheets of relatively large size.simultaneously splitting said sheets into sheets of smaller size. andsubsequently using the split edges of the smaller sheets as a gauge in acutting and scoring machine for the cartons.

2. The method of making lithographcd cartons or the like which comprisesprinting and said cartons in multiple on sheets of relatively largesize. simultaneously splitting said sheets transvcrsely to the graininto sheets of smaller size, and subsequently using the split edges ofthe smaller sheets as a gauge in a cutting and scoring machine for thecartons.

3. That method of making lithographed cartons in which a lithographingpress and a cutting and scoring machine are used. the latter havingfront and side guides. which comprises printing in said iithographingpress said cartons in multiple on sheets of relatively large size.simultaneously splitting said sheets transversely to the grain intosheets of smaller size to prepare them for said cutting and scoringmachinmand using said split edges as a gauge engaging the front feedguides of said splitting and scorng machine.

4- A fiat bed carton lithographing press having a rotary impressionmember and a bed. carrying plates for printing said cartons in multiple,a knife arranged lengthwise of said bed, and set up among said plateswhereby said knife will split the sheet into smaller sheets each havinga plurality of duplicate lithographs for said oartons, a band encirclingsaid impression member, tension means for said band, shims for adjustingsaid band radially of said impression member, packing for saidimpression member, and the outer face of said band being substantiallyflush with the outer face of said packing and serving as a platen forsaid knife.

5. In a fiat bed press, a rotary impression cylinder, a straight knifearranged lengthwise of said bed and set up among the plates on said bed,and a radially adjustable band encircling said impression cylinderintermediate its length and serving as a platen for said knife.

6. In a flat bed press, a rotary impression cylinder, a. straight knifearranged lengthwise of said bed and set up among the plates on said bed,a radially adjustable platen for said knife carried by said impressioncylinder, and packing carried by said impression cylinder at each sideof said platen.

7 In a flat bed press, a rotary impression cylinder, a knife set uplengthwise of said bed and among the plates on said bed, a platen forsaid knife carried by said impression cylinder, and packing carried bysaid impression cylinder at each side of said platen.

8. In a flat bed press, a rotary impression cylinder, a knife set uplengthwise of said bed and among the plates on said bed, a flexible bandserving as a platen for said knife bent about said impression cylinderintermediate its length, and means for securing the end portions of saidband to said cylinder.

9. In a press, an impression cylinder, a band encircling said cylinder,a tension device for said band mounted in a recess on said cylinder, anda reciprocatory plate carrying bed cooperating with said impressioncylinder, a knife carried by said bed transversely to the axis of saidimpression cylinder, and a plurality of plates set up on said bed oneach side of said knife.

10. In a flat bed press, a reciprocatory plate carrying member, animpression memher, a knife set up among the plates on said platecarrying member transversely to said impression member, a narrow bandserving as a platen for said knife carried by said impression memberintermediate its length, and shims for adjusting said band radially ofsaid impression member.

11.-In a flat bed press, a reciprocatory plate carrying member, animpression member, a knife set up among the plates on said platecarrying member transversely to said impression member, a narrow bandserving as a platen for said knife carried by said impression memberintermediate its length, and shims of yielding material for adjustingsaid band radially of said impression member.

12. In a flat bed press, a reciprocatory plate carrying member, animpression member, a knife set up among the plates on said platecarrying member transversely to said impression member, a narrow bandserving as a platen for said knife carried by said impression memberintermediate its length, and a yielding backing for said band.

13. In a flat bed press, a reciprocatory plate carrying member, animpression member, av knife set up among the plates on said platecarrying member transversely to said impression member, a narrow bandserving as a platen for said knife carried by said impression memberintermediate its length, means for tensioning said band, and means foradjusting said band radially ofsaid impression member.

In testimony whereof, I have slgned my name to this speclficatlon.

LESTER THAYER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,579,181, grantedMarch 30, L926, upon the application of Lester Thayer, of \Vinthrop,Massachusetts, for an improvement in Methods of and Apparatus forLithograp-hing, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 2, line 111, claim 2, strike out the Wordand and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of May, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL-1 M. J. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

